The Return of Lady Godiva
by The Whore of Babel
Summary: On old flame of Sirius' returns and prompts some confused emotions from Tonks about her relationship with Remus. SB/OC, RL/NT *during OotP* Completed!
1. Prologue: Trust

Title: The Return of Lady Godiva (Prologue: Trust)

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Sirius Black/OC

Disclaimer: I don't own Sirius or Remus or Hogwarts, or anything associated with Harry Potter. I just emulate it.

Sirius rolled over in the pre-dawn light and knew he shouldn't be there. How he'd gotten there was still something of a mystery and how he was going to leave, even more so.

But he had to go.

Sliding his arm out from under her body, he quietly rolled the sheets back and grabbed his robes up off the floor, pausing to survey the room as he stood back up. There were only two other girls in the room, a bit of a surprise, and both were breathing quietly, heads tucked beneath their blankets to block the eventual dawn.

Sirius looked back down at her and was startled to find her awake, grey eyes staring up at him, still struggling out of a thin layer of dreams.

"Off already?" she whispered.

He bent down and kissed her, "Don't want your roommates talking, awful things they'll say."

"Like what? That I was snogging hottest man in my year?" she smiled sleepily.

He pulled back a bit, "Only your year? I thought it was the whole school."

She snorted, and one of the girls in the far bed moved. "You and your fat head'd better go."

"Changing your tune already?" He began to pull on his robes.

"Get out of here Mr.Black, before I feel the need to tell a professor of this untoward behavior." She smirked a bit as he lowered his head again, holding his wand slightly aloft in a mockingly threatening pose.

"Well then, I may feel the need to jinx you, Miss. Lupin."

"Is that a promise?" He smiled and kissed her again.

"See you at breakfast, Coco." He pulled on the last of his robes and exited the dormitory as quietly as he could.

He had to change into a dog in order to descend from the girl's dormitory without it becoming a slide, and padded quietly across the Ravenclaw common room. There was a small group of older students, still asleep in their Yule Ball outfits, crowded around the dead embers of the fire. He knew in Gryffindor half the house would have passed out in the common room. He'd have to be careful not to step on anyone.

He changed forms again in the niche of the door before exiting, so as not to be seen. It surprised him a bit that, after all the rumored prudishness of Ravenclaw girls, only three of the six sixth-years had come back last night. The other three were probably in his dorm room at this moment.

He walked the halls confidently, there was no need to hide, it was perfectly acceptable for students to be out and about at this hour, and not even the suspicions of Filch could ruin his mood at this moment. The great arched windows of the hallway let in the cool mist and small flakes of snow that melted at the threshold of the sills. It was going to be a glorious day.

He wondered, though, about Remus' reaction when he returned this morning. He had last seen the hollow-eyed boy sometime last night, dancing with Lucille Rosenbaum, a sixth-year fellow Gryffindor. He also seemed rather upset.

Sirius didn't like to think of the reason for this attitude, and so ignored it. James and Lily had either ended up kissing each other goodnight, or wouldn't talk to each other for a week. Neither of these events would have been new, and Sirius didn't much mind either way. All he could think about was the warm feeling of Godiva's skin under his fingers.

He rounded the corner and descended the staircase to the large portrait of the Fat Lady who was thankfully coherent this morning. Apparently wine was not as plentiful since they'd gotten rid of the wine cellar painting on the third floor.

"Mistletoe."

"It would seem so," she responded with a wink and swung to reveal the tower's entrance.

Just as he had expected, the common room was strewn with inebriated and unconscious partygoers. He picked his way around them carefully, so as to avoid stepping on any unkempt fingers. It was quiet except for the shallow breathing of sleepers and a stirring from a chair in the far corner.

"Good morning."

Sirius turned slowly like a man caught in the act, and essentially, that's what he was.

"Morning, Remus."

Remus's eyes were bloodshot and dark-rimmed, a certain sign of insomnia, and he still wore his robes from the night before. "Back a little late, aren't you?"

"Well, I'd say I'm pretty early," Sirius said, trying to muster up some nonchalance. It didn't work.

"You were out with Godiva, weren't you?" Remus' tone was more one of unhopeful questioning than accusation, and Sirius couldn't lie to him.

"Yes."

Remus nodded, not meeting Sirius' eye. "I let you slide with a lot of things Sirius, a lot of things I shouldn't, but you've got to promise me," he looked up suddenly, his eyes harsh, boring into Sirius' so that he had the notion to take a step back. "You've got to promise me you're not going to hurt her."

It wasn't exactly what Sirius had expected to hear. He'd expected some sort of outburst of anger, or maybe silent treatment, but somehow this confrontation was better.

"I promise."

"I trust her," Remus said, "I'd like to trust you too."

Sirius bristled, "You don't?"

"Not around witches." He sighed, "I don't want her to get hurt."

"She's a big girl, Remus, she can take care of hersel-"

"I know!" Remus shouted, erupting out of his chair with a shout loud enough to stir some of the nearby sleepers. "She's always been able to take care of herself! Especially when I couldn't!" He hung his head again.

"You trust her?" Sirius said after an awkward moment of silence.

"Yes," Remus whispered.

"You trust her to chose me?" Sirius' said quietly.

"I don't know."

Sirius had no satisfactory response to this, he could only stand in uncomfortable silence, like a man on trial. "C'mon," he said at length, "we'll get a shower before breakfast." Remus nodded and together they walked up to the silent dormitory, all the while Sirius hoping someday Remus might trust him too.


	2. The Return of Lady Godiva

Title: The Return of Lady Godiva

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: Sirius Black/OC, Remus Lupin/Nymphandora Tonks

Disclaimer: I don't own Sirius or Remus or Hogwarts, or anything associated with Harry Potter. I just emulate it.

"Godiva's coming?" Tonks bounced with excitement. "I love her! Merlin, I haven't seen her in _years._"

"You were at Hogwarts still, weren't you?" Remus asked over his paper.

"What was that…7 years ago? Oh, this is so exciting!" Tonks' hair had gone an excited shade of purple as she swirled onto the bench across from Lupin. "When? When did you hear?"

"She sent me a letter this morning. She should be here by dinner, she's taking Muggle transport."

"Does Dumbledore know? Will she be able to find us?" Tonks had the sudden vision of going out to meet her friend in the circle and then disappearing back into a wall where Godiva couldn't follow.

"Of course, they're meeting this afternoon at the Ministry."

Tonks nodded thoughtfully and then snapped to attention. "Hey, does Sirius know?"

"I don't see why he should. He's been on the back balcony all morning."

"I'm going to tell him," Tonks remarked with certainty, rising from the table and taking off up the kitchen stairs. Remus passed a faint smile and returned to his paper.

Sirius leaned heavily on the rusted railing, peering out and over the mangled remains of a decidedly questionable garden. Among large iron trellises engrossed in hairy vines laid remains of what appeared to be animal bones. Tonks did not envy Mrs. Weasley- or Sirius- in their job of cleaning up the Black House. She thought perhaps fighting the Dark Lord might be a little _safer_.

"Sirius, have you heard who's coming?" she asked, the excitement in her voice escaping.

"Someone new, eh? Well, that might be a nice break in monotony."

"It's Godiva!" she screeched. "Remus got a letter this morning. She'll be here for dinner!"

Sirius swirled to face Tonks, "Godiva? Really?" He leaned back and ran his fingers through his hair, eyes fixed on some invisible point over Tonks' head. "I thought she was living in the Muggle World."

"Not anymore. Since the Order's re-grouped she's come back. She was in the original Order, right?"

"For a few years, yes," Sirius said, mind miles away. "After she graduated."

Sirius had a lot of memories of Godiva, not the least of which during their time in the Order.

"How did she find out about us? Did someone contact her?"

"I don't know, ask Remus, he got the letter."

He nodded, then addressed Tonks again, "Molly's out on errands. I know this is your day off, don't worry about chores. Just relax, a'right? I'm going to talk to Remus." He walked past her and back into the dreary townhouse.

Tonks went upstairs to do just as Sirius ordered her. She contemplated a bath, and then felt bad about such an indulgence when everyone else was out working. She supposed it was the same type of thing Sirius felt all the time. Instead she watched Remus step down from the porch of number twelve, Grimmauld Place from the vantage point of her bedroom window. He turned to no doubt watch the house fold back into the brickwork between number eleven and number thirteen. It was a chill day in mid-October and he braced himself against the breeze. The gloves he wore seemed wonderfully warm, but his patched coat appeared to do little to help. He then turned and stared towards the enclosed alleyway where the current residents of number twelve Apparated to and from.

She sat back onto her bed and contemplated buying him a new coat. What size was he, anyway? She found herself tracing the outline of his shoulders in her mind, trying to size them up.

Molly's chore today had been scrubbing the floors of the upstairs bedrooms before the 'Hogwarts lot' returned for the holidays, but Tonks was in no mood, and after her conversation with Sirius, she knew he wasn't either. It was her one day off from the Ministry and Godiva was coming. It was no time to scrub.

Molly was out on errands, Sirius back on the balcony, and Remus had his own mysterious dates to make. She wondered where he went. More interviews for jobs? Probably. She wondered often about his closely guarded responsibilities.

But she pushed those thoughts aside like a guilty girl peeking into a friend's diary. Instead she turned to her latest read, a light paperback about Muggles and love.

Godiva knocked twice in a plodding, certain hammer and then proceeded into a light rapping beat. Tonks leapt from where she still lay on her bed. _Godiva!_ Who else gave such an original rap? She bolted down the stairs, careful to avoid the ever-confounding troll's foot umbrella stand, making it to the landing without incident. It was only down the last flight that she slipped and rolled down on her bum, teeth jarring.

"Tonks, are you alright?" Remus called from behind her, apparently back from his errands. He stooped down to give her his hand and she took it, heart still thumping from her fall. His hand was warm and rough, stronger than his ratty clothes allowed.

"Yeh, thanks." She rose, dusting herself off and nursing what she knew would soon be a nasty bruise.

Remus cocked her an eyebrow and she thought she saw a small smile on the corner of his lip. It made her legs jelly a bit, but that was just the fall…

He moved to the door, which had gone silent as suddenly as Tonks had taken her rather loud tumble. He peered out through the peephole, leaned back, took a deep breath and pulled the door open.

He was suddenly accosted by a ruffle of dark cloth and luggage, which dropped to the floor with a thud, "Remus!" A woman about a half-head above Tonks and with a full female figure, Godiva was a ball of energy almost as bad as Pigwidegon himself. She let Remus out of her grip and held his face between her palms, kissed both cheeks and hugged him again. "I missed you so much I wanted to write everyday, but rules are rules and… I'm here." Her voice dropped down an octave, "You must tell me everything. Dumbledore told me some, but I want to do all I can." Remus nodded and shut the door, gathering her bags and he did.

"We'll wait until Molly returns, then we'll tell you all we know," Godiva responded with a face only siblings fully understand and turned her attention to Tonks, who stood beaming in the background.

"Dora!" Her voice rose again and she embraced the girl, squealing in excitement. "How are you dear? You've graduated? Oh, I've missed you like my kin, darling!" She pushed Tonks' violent violet hair back and smiled. "I love it." She looked around for the baggage Remus had collected and caught the dark figure leaning in shadows at the end of the hall.

She froze, was silent, her whole demeanor changed in an instant. Tears formed suddenly as recognition invaded her gray eyes. Eyes all too like her brother's. She walked to him slowly, disbelieving, taking deep breaths, and then threw herself into him, wiping her face on his robes.

"I've missed you," she breathed. "So much."

They stood there, Sirius rocking her slightly in a deep silence, hands running through her hair, until a few long moments later Remus suggested they all sit down in the kitchen, he'd make tea. They sat around the kitchen table and Godiva told her story, while constantly holding Sirius near her, as if afraid he might Disapparate into nothing.

She'd finished at the University of Yorkshire with a double-degree in Spellcasting and Muggle Studies. After a few internships, even a year-long stint in the same Ministry department as Mr. Weasely, she caught a job at Cauldron Publishing where she edited Spellcraft textbooks.

Sirius listened in quiet rapture to the life she'd led without him. Tonks saw it in his face as he followed the line of her jaw, her eyes, surveyed her changed face. What, fourteen years? She couldn't imagine fourteen years without Remus, not that he held the same place in her life. She felt the color rise in her cheeks and suppressed it, listening on.

"I would've come sooner, but I was given a three-year grant to study Muggles in their own world, and, well, that's not an offer I could afford to refuse. But it meant no contact with the wizarding world." She took a long draught of tea and continued. "The grant's supposed to run out in February, but Remus sent me an owl and, well, I always could read you better than a book." She looked over at him with a teasing smirk that suddenly disappeared. "I knew something important had happened."

"What are you going to do?" Tonks asked, hands spread wide on the table around her mug. "Muggle Studies aren't exactly the best skills for fighting You-Know-Who."

Godiva sighed and rolled her eyes, "Tell me something new. But we'll see what Dumbledore wants. He should be here tonight."

Sirius snorted, "You'd better tell Molly that, she's a fiend for knowing dinner guests."

"I'm a what?!" a voice called from the upstairs hallway. "Sirius, can you help me with these bags in the hallway? And is Remus down there? Ah! Will someone move this troll's foot! It's a nuisance and not to mention absolutely hideous." Tonks snorted as Mrs. Weasley came teetering down the stairs carrying two large shopping bags and paused to see the stranger at the table. Godiva stood up to introduce herself, but Sirius seemed reluctant to let her go, hand lingering in hers like a young couple.

"Hello, you must be Mrs. Weasley." She let go of Sirius and crossed the kitchen to shake hands. "I'm Remus' sister, Godiva." She paused, "I worked with your husband at the Ministry a number of years ago."

Mrs. Weasley stood surprised for a moment and then engulfed the woman in a warm hug. "Oh, darling, Remus told me you were coming and any family of his is a family of mine. Are you hungry?" She crossed the kitchen, dropping her bags by on the counter along the far wall. "I'm afraid dinner isn't until later, but could I make you a cup of tea?"

"Remus already has, thank you. I'd just like to get settled for now. Of course I'm not sure how long I'll be staying." Molly quirked an eyebrow at her, and she continued, "Dumbledore seems to have an assignment for me."

"Ah," Mrs. Weasley consented, "well that's all good then. However long you're here, love, you're welcome." She gave a cheery smile, but not without its perpetual creases and furrows of stress. "Now all of you, out," she said, addressing the group at large. "I have dinner to get started and few letters to write beforehand. Arthur should be here soon and then we'll hear the news."

She shooed them out of the kitchen and up into the narrow hallway. Remus was the first to speak, "I have some matters to take care of as well, I'll see you for dinner," and he headed up the stairs.

Tonks hung around for a moment, trying to think of something to say and not quite wanting to leave. She'd missed Godiva, but there was something there between her and Sirius. She was aware of their former relationship, of Godiva's constant faith in him, but for the majority of her friendship with Godiva, Sirius had been in prison and their dynamic was new to her. "I've got to go too, Molly wants me to wash the top floor's bedrooms. I'll, I'll see you at dinner." She smiled and turned to the stairs, letting the couple alone in the hallway.

She was still pondering the two when she met Lupin on the landing.

He looked tired and wary, but relieved. Content. "They were so happy together. It was, it was like Lily and James." His voice trembled minutely at his lost friend's name. He looked down into the foyer where they could be heard whispering. "I wondered when she'd come home. He asked about her sometimes, and I…I could say something of her I could never say of myself. She never doubted him for a moment."

Tonks was surprised and a little thrilled to be shown this side of Remus. He was always so guarded, but here was sadness, humanity. Affection welled up inside her and she struggled to suppress the extent of it.

"You didn't doubt him either. You just, think you did. Deep down, you knew he could never do that. You _knew._" And then in a strike of boldness she reached up on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek, "See you at dinner," and scurried up to her room, heart pounding in her eardrums.

She came down to dinner early, enticed by the smell of Ms. Weasley's cooking, only to find Godiva already there, setting up a small metal box on top of one of the spice racks. She was talking about her years in the Muggle world.

"It's called a radio, I only hope it works around here. It picks up signals transmitted over the air."

"You would fascinate Arthur. What does the, _raideeo_, do?"

Godiva fiddled with a dial, retrieving only static, until a light tap of her wand brought it to life. "It plays music."

A jazzy song popped on and catching sight of Tonks on the stairs, Godiva brought her into the dance. "Twirl with me, love! Dance!"

Godiva and Tonks were off, spinning in a frenzy and laughing at their own immaturity. Mrs. Weasley continued stirring the cauldron, letting a carefree smile fall across her face. It was an unfamiliar song to the young witch, but Godiva sang along with every word.

Remus came down the stairs, presumably drawn by the sound of music and laughter, and paused on the final step to watch

"Remus, c'mon. Don't just stand there like a knarkle," Tonks cried.

Godiva laughed and urged him over.

He shook his head, "You girls are having too much fun, I'm afraid I'm only ruin it."

"I wouldn't," Sirius said from behind him, jumping in. The song faded from the jazzy tempo and a new one emerged in a pizzicato of guitar strings. Sirius took Godiva by the hand and swung her gently into a sway, placing his arm around her waist. She smiled and suddenly everyone in the room had the impression that the pair had gone a place none of them could follow.

A steady strumming joined in and a pleasant male voice began singing, _"On a dark desert highway…"_

Tonks moved to give them room and instead took a seat on one of the table benches and sighed. She looked over to Remus who still stood by the stairwell, watching the couple with a sense of approval, of memory, as if he'd not only expected the event, but had seen it a million times before.

She sighed again. Sirius swung Godiva out into a spin and she took is gracefully, falling back into his arms with a light _puff._ Tonks had a sudden aching longing for that kind of love.

There was movement from upstairs and all three onlookers turned their heads while the couple continued to sway, moving in small circles around the room.

"That'll be Arthur now. Dinner's almost ready, would you mind telling him, Remus?" Remus turned to head upstairs and Tonks felt a pull to follow him, bring him back downstairs with her and the song, but that was not what she wanted at all. It was depressing and confusing. She signed and excused herself, silently leaving Mrs. Weasley to dinner and the engrossed couple to themselves.

Mr. Weasley had returned from finishing some paperwork at the Ministry and leaned to hang his hat on the coat rack. Remus greeted him and Tonks listened in for a moment before sneaking out to the back balcony for a breather. The fresh air was tainted only slightly by the acrid smell of decay from the garden and the sun moved a little lower towards the empty trees and bare rooftops. She sighed, suddenly feeling lonelier than ever. Birds flew through the air, chirping final daysongs and a large, obtrusive raven sat perched on the tall garden fence gave a caw in her direction before swooping over.

. "Hello Zoltan," she said absently stroking the oily head feathers. It was Godiva's raven, a smart animals, crafty, careful, and old as the hills. He gave out a low crow of recognition and looked out over the garden.

"Dinner's ready," a soft voice said from behind her. It was Godiva, who made her way to the railing besides Tonks. "It's nice to see you again, love," she said, ruffling the now pink hair. Tonks looked over at the older witch. She had to be in her late thirties now, but held the swaying movements of a woman half her age. Small lines had begun to form around her mouth and eyes, bearing a stunning resemblance to Remus.

"You and Sirius look so happy," she remarked with a smile, strangely forced.

Something glittered in Godiva's eyes, her face was flushed, Tonks noticed, thinking it was from something more than dancing. "As happy as we can be, now."

There was a pause and then older witch let out a breath, "I really thought he was dead. Remus told me nothing for years. I thought the dementor's had got him and now…he'd be only a shell," her voice faltered.

Tonks had a sudden vision of the time the lovers had been separated. The best years of their lives to waste and ruin and wars, and now how long did they have? A week? A month? A year? Then separation. And there was always the ever-present danger of the looming war, threatening to tear them apart forever. It was more tragedy than Tonks could bear.

"You're so young, love." Godiva said, breaking her course of thought. "Promise me that when you find him, you never let him go."

"I never knew you when you loved Sirius."

"I always loved him, I never stopped."

"I would've liked to have had you in the family…" Tonks stopped, wondering if she'd gone to far, but Godiva only smiled, turning her head down, and then back up at the fading sun and wrapped her shawl a little more tightly.

"I don't know if it ever would have gone that far, but thank you Dora, that means a lot." She clasped the younger witch on the back. "Let's eat."

Tonks lay in bed that night thinking of all the sad, beautiful things she had witnessed. Dumbledore had come by for a short time after dinner to talk with Godiva. It seemed her Muggle Studies and proficiency in spells put her in a prime position to work with news outside the Ministry, small occurrences perhaps not noticed by the wizarding world. Sirius disliked the danger inherent in an undercover position as a muggle dealing with dark wizards, but only responded with a scowl, bursting out once at the mention of possible torture, but Godiva placated him enough so that he was able to leave the room without major incident.

When the discussion was over, Godiva excused herself to the hall and Dumbledore said short goodbyes. Tonks could hear Sirius' raised voice through the ceiling above her, but soon enough it was whispers, and when they returned his scowl was still present, but he stayed close by her.

Tonks turned in her bed, lighting the small gas lamp atop the bed stand. Soft noises came from the landing prompting her to cover the light of the lamp and crack the door. Two figures stood in the dark. She recognized Remus' slumped figure and Godiva's soft curves.

"…doesn't want me to leave, but, this _has_ to be done."

Remus nodded, "I know. There's danger in everything now…"

"Just like before," she slumped against the wall. "I love him, Remus, I want to be near him as long as I can."

"I know." There was a sigh.

"When this is over, promise me you'll find someone. I worry about you."

"You always did," his voice lightened a bit.

"You do realize it's my job?" They both gave a small chuckle and hugged. "Sleep well, big brother."

"You too." Remus turned to his room and Godiva watched as he closed the door. Then she turned to Tonks and, surprised, Tonks started, smiled, and closed the door. She felt suddenly good, content, excited. Was it a spell? If it was, it was a good one. She lay back into bed, blew out the lamp, and slept.

Godiva watched Tonks close the door and smiled. The eyes of a woman are perceptive, seeing parts of a person they themselves are blind to. She whispered a few words under her breath, _"Amoris puella, adificare fortuno."_ Then she opened the door of room she shared with Sirius and tiptoed in, lying beside her lover for the first time in fourteen years. She needed no spell for contentment, it was always there, resting in the touch of his hands on her skin.


	3. Epilogue: Reunion

Title: The Return of Lady Godiva (Epilogue:Reunion)

Rating: R

Pairing: Sirius Black/OC

Disclaimer: I don't own Sirius or Remus or Hogwarts, or anything associated with Harry Potter. I just emulate it.

I tiptoed back into the warm lamplight of the room. Like the rest of the house it carried a musty, disused smell, but two of the windows on the far side were cracked open, allowing a small flow of air and the slight patter of rain on the sill.

Sirius sat perched on the end of the bed, eyes fixed on his own reflection in the large floor-length mirror in front of him. He wore only his black bathrobe tied at the waste and as I climbed on to the bed behind him I stared into his eyes reflected in the mirror, deep-set and shadowed by the overhanging arch of his eyebrows.

I tucked my knees up under me on the bed and draped my arms around his shoulders, hands splayed on his emancipated chest. My eyes met his in the mirror and he stroked my hand absentmindedly.

"Look at us," I said, "still the same after all these years."

A thin smile gripped him, and in it I saw traces of the young, robust wizard I had known since I was a young girl.

"Then I must have a horrible memory, because I swear I used to look handsome," he said.

"What do you mean 'used to?'" I whispered, leaning back and slowly slipped the top of his robe off, tracing the many white lines of scar tissue that marred his back. Some were old, barely there and others were new, deep rivulets in his skin. I ran my fingers over the largest one, stretching from the back of his right shoulder blade down to his mid-back, then curving sharply up again until it ended, fading into the skin under his left arm.

He suddenly grabbed my hand as it rested there and pulled it around him, hugging my arms under his. His skin was sallow and taunt, but that did nothing to make him any less handsome in my eyes. I traced the scars across his chest, the tattoos, some old, others new. I never thought to ask about them, I just wanted to know his form again. It had been a long time since I'd had the chance to trace the outline of his features or feel the warmth of his skin. We sat there for what felt like hours just touching, skin to skin, my head looking over his shoulder at the man in the mirror. The man I knew so well, but who fate had stolen from me.

He moved slowly, as if something deep inside pained him, and turned to look me in the eye, still holding my hands in his. He paid no mind to his bare chest as he moved the hair out of my face. Everything seemed to glow for one shimmering moment as he touched my skin.

"Sirius…" I murmured, pressing my cheek into his hand.

"Shhh." He lifted me back onto the bed and I recalled the memory of our first night alone in the Ravenclaw common room, the light mimicking the same shadows and the quiet murmur of wind in the eves.

He brushed my hair back and simply stared at me for long, passing moments, as if memorizing my face in the same way I examined his scars. The color rose in my cheeks and I caught my breath as his hand moved ever downward, dancing lightly over my skin.

No, it was _not_ like that first, awkward night, our fingers fumbling, tearing buttons from out robes in an attempt to find skin and skin. In fourteen long years it seemed he had not forgotten the spots discovered in long gone nights. His lips traced my jaw and neck and I gasped, falling to the same comfortable pattern of love-making I had missed all these years.

Gently we pushed ourselves together, meeting in the fading lamplight, faces flushed, soft sheets under our bare skin. I bit my lip and gripped his hair, tracing my fingers over his back, both our robes gone, and I realized what a miracle it was that I loved him still, that he loved me, that we had never stopped, and I felt hot tears on my cheeks as he curled me in his arms.

His thumb graced my cheek and he shifted slightly, "Godiva, what's wrong?"

I paused to answer, afraid my voice would stick. I suppressed a lump in my throat and whispered, "Nothing, nothing. I'm happy, Sirius, I'm happy."

He leaned over and kissed my neck and ear and cheek, held me a little tighter, and I thought I felt hot drops on my skin where his lips had been.

"I'm happy too."

It was the last thing he whispered as we fell asleep together, wrapped in our own warm skin and memories.


End file.
